Plight of wrongfully convicted and exonerated prisoners explored through opera

Nearly 3,500 people have been exonerated in the last 35 years with more than half of them being Black, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Some stories are being told on stage.

Composed by Montclair State University College of the Arts faculty member, Scott Davenport Richards, Blind Injustice explores the true stories of six people who were tried, unjustly convicted, imprisoned, and who ultimately freed themselves with the help of the Ohio Innocence Project.

Blind Injustice premiered, with great success, by Cincinnati Opera in 2019. It paints a damning portrait of how our country’s criminal justice system repeatedly fails not only the wrongfully accused but their families and communities. It also offers hope for a shared future founded on justice and reform.